It's really quite odd and I'm not sure what to make of it all until I stand back and take a look and all of a sudden, I'm a grown-up?
I leave early in the morning, and I arrive back after dark. The only time to shop is in the evenings and weekends, but we've got a house of mouths to feed, so it has to get done somehow. We cook communally, it's weird because I've never done that with housemates before and it's strange having to consider what to make for a substantial meal, because it used to be that I'd eat whatever, whenever and not care. But it's lovely to come back to a hot home-made supper and not have to worry about what to eat for tea that day.
So I'm meeting people and spending time with workmates who have jobs and houses and paychecks and only go out at weekends and I come in and start to make dinner for everyone and put away the food and take out the bins and do the washing up. And I put the laundry on and I sit down and relax, for the first time all day at almost 9 o'clock at night.
I catch up on the internet and I check my bank balance. I have a report to write, emails to send and calculations to complete, but they can wait until tomorrow, because it's half past ten and I'm shattered.
Oh, to be a student.
On the jukebox: Malvina Reynolds ~ Little Boxes
I leave early in the morning, and I arrive back after dark. The only time to shop is in the evenings and weekends, but we've got a house of mouths to feed, so it has to get done somehow. We cook communally, it's weird because I've never done that with housemates before and it's strange having to consider what to make for a substantial meal, because it used to be that I'd eat whatever, whenever and not care. But it's lovely to come back to a hot home-made supper and not have to worry about what to eat for tea that day.
So I'm meeting people and spending time with workmates who have jobs and houses and paychecks and only go out at weekends and I come in and start to make dinner for everyone and put away the food and take out the bins and do the washing up. And I put the laundry on and I sit down and relax, for the first time all day at almost 9 o'clock at night.
I catch up on the internet and I check my bank balance. I have a report to write, emails to send and calculations to complete, but they can wait until tomorrow, because it's half past ten and I'm shattered.
Oh, to be a student.
Take that, bookend it with an early rise on monday morning and a late return on friday, along with not being home for 5 days out of 7, and you see why I didn't blog much last year. It's surprising how much working a normal life (as opposed to the student one) takes out of you.
ReplyDeleteEating together as a house sounds so nice :). Sadly our house ranges from the very vegan and experimental to the very meat-eating and traditional, so there's not a lot of overlap in terms of what we do and do not all like, so no communal meals for us!
ReplyDeleteI'm simultaneously nervous of actual adult life and raring to get there. Mainly raring, though.
We almost always eat together. Nobody ever washes up if they can possibly help it. Something about it always makes feel really proud of all of them. I think I'd have felt a lot more homesick this year if I'd suddenly gone from everyone eating around a table to making my own meals for one when there's space in the kitchen. I think at least one of my housemates probably feels the same thing - I've eaten with her family and I know it's a big thing for them too. To be honest, they're probably all thinking it, even if it's not conscious. I love it.
ReplyDelete@Dickie: whereas now you're rolling them out daily... ;)
ReplyDelete@Jenny: I'm like the least fussiest eater, ever, so it works. Also, I'm absolutely terrified of adult life, but I'm taking it one step at a time at the moment and I'm still getting out of bed in the mornings, which is always a good start to the day. Things will work out. They will.
@Fiona: :) We do a if-you-cooked-you-don't-wash-up system and consequently have a cleaner kitchen than I've ever known as a student. It does feel awfully homely and sophisticated to sit at the table with a Proper Meal and not be eating some leftover lukewarm pasta on our laps in front of the TV.
Aha, I checked this before I commented!
ReplyDeleteI published 8 things in September and October. Between February and August, I published 9 things. In September and October last year, I published 4 posts. January is a slight anomaly as I wasn't working for most of it...
So I'm rolling them out more regularly than I used to :-P
re: communal cooking, I wouldn't trust my housemates, the stuff they eat looks awful. Also, I quite enjoy cooking.